Rushall notes, 2003.

There is no one ideal diet for athletes. There is so much interindividual variation within a population that one recipe would be pointless. At best, one should ingest the general basic food groups and over time determine the need for particular different proportions. Not only are dietary needs differentiated by gender and age but it is now known that there are racial and habitual differences as well. Early childhood diets go a long way to determining dietary tolerances and needs in adulthood.

The current emphasis on the diet of athletes is over-exaggerated. Largely, the common dictates violate the Principle of Individuality.

The current emphasis on nutritional supplements is particularly onerous and unwarranted. Not only does it reinforce a fictional need to consume isolated and particular substances for athletic success, it also distracts from the real basis of physical performance improvements; the exactness of physical stimulation, overload, and recovery.

The best dictum for athletes is: "Eat well in variety, maintain a body weight, and enjoy good mental and structural health."

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